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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Sept 10, 2021 21:16:59 GMT -8
No matter how many CBD gummies Lucas consumed, or how much time he spent teaching Luther knew tricks, or even how much work he occupied his mind with, whenever darkness fell a sense of unease grew inside of him. The unease would eventually seep into his mind and transform into nightmares of varying intensities. There were a couple of things that helped with keeping the intensity of the nightmares on the low side of things. One of which was drinking until the point he blacked out. He had only done that once after a particularly brutal nightmare that lead to a massive panic attack. The next night when he eyed the bottle he thought back to Riley's apartment and how they had to lock their alcohol up. The image combined with his own earlier struggles with addiction caused him to throw away all of his heavy liquor, leaving only a six pack of beer as well as a couple of Seltzers.
The other other helpful combination was meditating in his room before heading out for the evening to burn off his anxious energy. At the beginning of the month he had moved into a two bedroom apartment at the same long term stay hotel he was already living in. The extra bedroom meant that Luther and Mr.Bubbles had their own quiet space. He could watch television late at night or use the area to practice his meditation. There was a small sense of pride in being able to get a bigger place for himself. Sure, it was far from the Ritz that many of the Spring patrons he hung out with lived in. But for him it was a sign that he had managed to consistently work long enough that he could afford more comforts. These days, his comforts took on the form of toys for both of his pets. He wanted to get into aquarium set ups but the amount of time required to clean them consistently was still daunting for the Fairest.
After his animal friends were taken care of, it was time to take care of himself by burning off the remainder of his anxious energy. Tonight was a night where his body was telling him he needed to do something uncomplicated and fun. When he reflected on who he could spend sometime with that wouldn't cause any emotionally complex situations to arise, Eurydice popped into his mind. Ever since he picked up yoga the two of them had gotten closer. He had swung by her dance studio a few times to practice there and work on his instructor certificate. There was no shortage of banter between the two of them whenever they had a chance to interact with each other. The banter was becoming increasingly more flirtatious each time they caught the other looking their way.
Lucas was finishing up his session around the same time that Eurydice was closing up her studio. He hung around waiting for everyone to leave, including a certain Spring Fairest who made the questionable decision of working with his fiery ex. During their usual banter with each other, Lucas stepped it up and asked Eurydice if she wanted to get drinks later in the evening after they both had a chance to shower and clean up. The Former Sage escorted agreed which lead to Lucas having a noticeable pep in his step after he left the studio.
Drinking turned to dancing which lead to their physical chemistry igniting. The last time Eurydice had held him this close was back in Beltane when it felt like the world was against him. No matter how frightened he was in that moment, Eurydice had been a source of comfort for him. He realized that part of the reason he liked being so close to her was in his shaken state, he craved a sense of security. The power that radiated from the Chevalier was nothing short of intoxicating. Tonight, he threw all of his anxious mental brakes out the window and instead allowed himself to lose himself in intensity of her mantle. Not only did he want to wrap himself up in her powerful presence like a safety blanket, he wanted to emulate that kind of confidence as well. He was both highly attracted to Eurydice as well as deeply inspired by her.
By the time they got out of their Lyft and they were at Eurydice's door, the two of them could barely keep their hands off of each other. Truth be told, Lucas could barely tell what kind of place she lived in. He was too busy kissing her while they stumbled down whatever entrance lay to her place. Maybe it was an apartment. Maybe it was a condo. It could have been been a driveway for all he knew. Whatever it was, he would have to check it out later because they were inside her home moments later and she was pulling him towards the couch. Something in the back of his mind was setting off warning bells that the two of them were not alone. If he wasn't in such a hot and heavy mood, he likely would have stepped back to take a look around. However, between their hands becoming more adventurous with one and other and Eurydice's mantle giving off the impression that he was being followed by a predator at all times, he chalked it up to her mantle giving him another thrill now that they were becoming physically intimate with one and other.
So he continued to makeout with the other Fairest, blissfully unaware of any other being or certain disgruntled Elementals who could be hanging out in living room as well...
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Post by Fawkes on Sept 11, 2021 0:03:45 GMT -8
Fawkes had parked himself in the living room, after his motleymates made the call that it was Healthy and Necessary to remove his files and technology for the Winter Court to sit on. If he wasn't allowed to hole himself up and sulk in his room, he was going embrace his Onyx destiny and let his salt be known to the world.
Vacations sucked. He had no idea what to do with himself, and Ricochet knew better than to press that particular nerve. The glass Elemental felt exposed enough, and neither were looking to send him back into self imposed isolation.
Taking a cue from Eurydice, he had draped himself over one of the chairs, dressed only in a pair of joggers and unkempt hair. The bowl of cereal had hit room temperature hours ago as he thumbed through a novel. The ash tray was crowded with white husks and starting to spill its contents onto the fancy end table, with the varnish already suffering pits from the occasional stray ember.
Whatever necrotic toxin had wreaked havoc on the Sunbanisher, it had been excruciatingly slow to heal. Even Cold Iron stitched up faster than the mottled bruising that threaded through the muscled porcelain like clouded marble. The occasional thread of black icor leaked from an articulated joint like oil, aggravating the skin of his mien as the body tried to flush out the glamour-shredding entropy.
Cobalt flicked to follow the sudden tumble of bodies, realizing how dark it had gotten (and probably why he had a headache). The surprised squawk from Eurydice wasn't met with a reaction, rather he chose to remain an awkward buzzkill in the most spiteful maneuver he can think of.
Lucas recieved an unblinking, silent stare from beyond the pages.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Sept 11, 2021 0:19:34 GMT -8
Over the years Lucas had found a variety of different uses for his larcency skillset. One of them being he was quite adept and unclasping bras. The Fairest was in the process of unclasping the other Fairest's bra when she let out a sudden squawk. He pulled away from the kiss with an alarmed look as he initially thought he may have done something on his end to upset her. When he followed her eyes and looked over at the couch he let out a startled squawk of his own.
"Jesus, Fawkes!"
He shook his head trying to free himself from the sudden jolt of adrenaline that ran through his body. Once his mind cleared up and he was able to organize his thoughts again, he realized how awkward this situation was. He reclapsed Eurydice's bra for her before sliding his hands on out of her top and he cleared his throat.
"I, uh, wasn't expecting to see you here."
He glanced over at Eurydice to see if she was as surprised as he was to see Fawkes chilling on the coach in the dark.
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Post by Eurydice on Sept 11, 2021 9:23:41 GMT -8
Normally Eurydice would laugh and shoo the offending party elsewhere. Motleymates were different—it wasn't embarrassment, per say, but it was a distraction she couldn't bring herself to drop. She bit her lip as Lucas synched her up and rolled her eyes as Fairest withdrew and shook himself. She kissed him anyway, lingering on her claim to space. Fawkes' intimidating reputation was usually a blessing.
Amber flashing as she glanced around the dimming house; she took a snapshot that the Elemental hadn't bothered to adjust the lighting timer, nor get dressed, nor bothered to order food or make something. Abandoning Lucas to his freeze, she flipped whatever this attention seeking nonsense was back on the Sunbanisher. She sat almost on top of him as he lifted his hands in resigned confusion, before his brow pinched as she squeezed her thumb and forefinger into his cheeks like a little kid.
"Do I need to leave you an allowance next time? What did you eat today, mijo?" she teased.
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Post by Fawkes on Sept 12, 2021 8:46:26 GMT -8
Fawkes took Eurydice by the wrist and carefully pried her clawed nails from his face. He moved his leg to try and slide her off the chair (and him) and she started laughing, melting into a puddle of dead weight and accusing him of betrayal.
"Cool. You're drunk."
"I'm buzzed," she corrected, "And we're having fun. You remember what that is-" The teasing cut off as she realized the context of her innocuous statement, mouth hanging open as she squawked again. "Fawkes, that wasn't what-"
"Context. Got it." The Fairest started to turn red before she thumped to the floor as the Elemental finally foisted her from her perch, twisting her legs in a practiced manner to not flash her dress. "Same to you. Couldn't book a room?" Fawkes asked, finally acknowledging Lucas.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Sept 12, 2021 13:02:14 GMT -8
As awkward as the moment was, Lucas still enjoyed the last kiss Eurydice gave him. He could sense the message she was sending to her motley mate. Eurydice may not be an elemental like the rest of Ricochet but she was a force of nature in her own right.
Once the endorphin high from the kiss wore off he returned his attention to the other two lost. Eurydice didn't seem at all fearful of Fawkes in his current state. Then again, Lucas was the only person in this room who wasn't part of the cartel. So while seeing Fawkes lurking in the dark in an unkempt state felt like the beginning of a horror movie to him, it was just another Friday night for them.
He was content to hangout in the background while they figured things out. That was until Eurydice toppled onto the floor. He moved over to help her up at the same time Fawkes addressed him.
"Ah,well, originally the plan was just drinks and hanging out after work. " The Fairest found himself reflecting on Fawkes' bastion. It was so...barren. Even with his motley the Elemental's dreams will still endless voids.
"Then we started dancing and it was like a spark turned into a flame. When you feel that kind of heat, it's hard to not want to let it consume you. If I'm lucky enough to have a next time, I'll make sure to get that hotel. " He flashed Eurydice an affection smile before looking back at Fawkes.
"I am sorry all the same, I didn't mean to disturb your evening. "
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Post by Eurydice on Sept 12, 2021 15:09:43 GMT -8
Eurydice grinned at Lucas' explanation, taking the offer to help lift her from the floor. It was all in fun, but Chevalier was still determined to play the part of a gentleman it seemed. When he started going no about 'next time', she flicked his shoulder with mock scandal. "Excuse me, we aren't done... Also, you don't need to apologize, Lucas," she chuckled, trying to alleviate the natural tension that built from combined Mantles.
Didn't they both know each other to some degree?
Had the Sunbanisher done something to freak the other out?
Her attention bounced from between the two, watching for any glaring cues, or the micro expressions she was used to watching for with Fawkes. She nudged Lucas back towards the door, intending to follow and salvage what they had started when it was clear her motleymate was posing an obstacle. "I'll call another Lyft?" she offered.
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Post by Fawkes on Sept 12, 2021 16:10:44 GMT -8
Fawkes couldn't help but draw some comparisons with the other friendly, pale Fairest who liked to dance. It distracted him from the shitty comment that Eurydice hadn't meant to make, though his face turned just as red as hers as the sand scraped under the glass.
He realized Lucas and Eurydice were talking again, and the latter already trying to hustle her fun out the door. The spite and potential teasing had evaporated with the cold light that threaded through the cracks in a flash.
A two fingered salute was offered as he kept his attention on the book that he had forgotten the contents of.
He just really didn't feel like it.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Sept 13, 2021 12:23:32 GMT -8
Lucas gave Fawkes a parting glance before Eurydice succeeded in ushering him out the door. He was worried about the Elemental but this didn't seem like the appropriate time to fuss over him. There was always tomorrow morning. Plus, he needed to focus on his own needs for a little bit to avoid compassion burnout.
Once they were outside,Lucas stepped behind Eurydice, and wrapped his arms around to her to hug her from behind while they waited for their Lyft to arrive. It felt good to hold onto something real and warm. The physical contact helped keep him grounded.
"I didn't know the two of you lived together. I'm guessing Sweeney does as well?"
One of the benefits of swearing to Sedna was he received her protection while he was in her dominion. That made it easier for him to afford his current living situation and not have to spend a lot of time and energy creating an independent safe space or hollow. Although he could certainly see the benefits of grouping up, especially with the Gentry invading dreams.
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Post by Eurydice on Sept 13, 2021 12:51:39 GMT -8
The Fury grinned, leaning into the embrace, "Yeah, all three," she admitted. "It's funny, actually. All our lives are nuts, so having something normal like roommates seems to give us all a reality check."
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Sept 14, 2021 5:26:03 GMT -8
"You say that until one of them forgets to leave the seat down late at night and then all hell will break loose."
He laughed as he amused himself with the mental image of Eurydice kicking both of their doors open and asking which one of them needed a solid ass kicking to remember how to be an adult and put the toilet seat down.
"Every now and then I think about getting a roommate but...eh. I don't know. I like the quietness especially late at night. I mean, my cockatoo can get fairly loud if he's not been given enough attention. Otherwise, he chills out with me. "
The Onyx Fairest peeked over Eurydice's shoulder for a moment to look at her phone.
"What hotel are you wanting to hit up?"
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Post by Eurydice on Sept 14, 2021 9:28:36 GMT -8
"One of the first things we did was learn how to not hit each other with explosions," she chuckled, eluding to the motley's intimidating use of the Arcadian Sword.
Rather than looking for a hotel like she should have been doing, Lucas watched her scroll a takeout app while Sweeney's responding text dinged at the top to confirm he would make sure the youngest ate some damn food.
"Can't relate. I think it would make me jumpy, where I'd eventually convince myself the house settling is a something breaking in," Eurydice admitted, "What do you like about the quiet?"
At the prompt for the hotel, she stopped typing her the third erased message to Sweeney. For one night already late in the evening, she could afford to blow for a higher bracket, and that meant the room was still likely available, "Mandalay's got one with a hot tub."
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Sept 14, 2021 9:58:27 GMT -8
Lucas silently watched the text exchange. Inwardly, he was amused as it felt like Eurydice was being given a curfew or her elemental husbands were going to get grumpy. While Fawkes did look worse for wear, he was still functioning. "The Mandalay is nice. I just got paid too so if you want to split it we could get one of the fancy suites. "
The original plan for his most recent paycheck was to squirrel it away for a sweet new aquarium. But there wasn't an immediate need for that and a night with Eurydice in a hot tub was far more appealing. "They even have a man-made beach there. I've not been to yet but I've heard good things. "
Now that they had a destination in mind the next step was to get the previous mood going again. There was always some kind of crisis or tragedy going on in the Freehold. If they put their lives on pause every time something happened they were going to live their lives.
And he had promised himself he would remember to live.
While keeping one of his arms around Eurydice, he reached up with his other hand to brush her hair out of the way. Then he leaned in to scatter a few kisses across her neck with the intent of fully distracting her from her phone.
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Post by Eurydice on Sept 14, 2021 10:23:07 GMT -8
"We can check it out in the morning," Eurydice added, sending off a final confirmation that she was going to be out. If Lucas was avoiding or missed the question, she didn't really care to stop what he was doing to point it out. Rather than turning, she tucked the phone in her pocket and slowly sank into him, running her hands down his hips and hooking her thumbs in the belt loops.
"Think we can keep it together for five minutes?"
The question was cheeky, but it was an audio cue for herself. There was a lot of things she could dig into if her defensiveness got the better of her—Why Lucas was still hanging around Riley and their girlfriend; why he had taken it upon himself to Bastion crack Fawkes in the hospital; why he was dancing with the Elemental that had obsessively harassed Carr...
Logically, she knew she didn't have the full picture of these things, and asking basic questions and affording a minimal amount of trust would put everything to bed. But it was always felt like a race as to whether Draconian instinct would torch a conversation before it could happen. The Fairest wiggled her hips a bit as she mulled it over.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Sept 14, 2021 11:40:18 GMT -8
The one real downside to their whirlwind evening together was that he didn't have an overnight bag or anything like that. The upside was they were going to a luxury hotel that would surely have extra toiletries available. There would be no walk of shame for him. He would do the stride of pride right on over to the beach.
"Maybe. "
There was a hint of an amused smile on his lips while he continued to kiss her neck. If he found a particularly sensitive spot he would focus his attention there. He did his best to keep his hands on place which was becoming increasingly more difficult as the other Fairest wiggled against him. As tempted as he may have been to get frisky with his hands, he didn't want to risk another another awkward run in with one of her roommates.
"That is a mighty big ask while you're looking this good. " Unlike Eurydice, Lucas was working on shifting his focus away from all the things that could to wrong and instead he was thinking about all of the things that could go Very Right between them tonight.
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